Guilt
by Jammequin
Summary: An AU fic in which Red is still the Concierge of Crime we all know and love but Liz is a waitress in one of his favourite restaurants. After a particularly bleak day, Red heads to the restaurant in need of human contact. I own nothing of The Blacklist or its characters and make no money from my writing.
1. Chapter 1

Red heaved a long, tired breath and headed out from his safe house, leaving Dembe secure in the hands of his medical team. He was no longer critical but hadn't yet woken up from his injuries. There was nothing more Red could do now to help him and so he decided what he really wanted, needed to do was drink a lot of scotch and be amongst strangers. People who didn't look at him accusingly for yet another lapse in his judgement. He could feel the tendrils of guilt over his friend's condition tickling the back of his brain and even though he knew it had not been his fault he also knew that if he didn't get some alcohol inside him soon he would be unable to keep his demons at bay much longer. He lengthened his stride and set out for a local bar with low lighting and few patrons, just enough to distract him whilst he remained mostly unseen.

Liz brought another giant pile of plates through from the front of the restaurant and lifted them onto the side by the dishwasher. Standing straight, she cracked her back and sighed. Glancing at the clock she saw it was nine forty-five, fifteen minutes before the last food orders would be taken. She hoped and prayed nobody else would come in tonight, she was dead on her feet and desperate to go home. Glancing over and smiling tiredly at the kitchen porter who had started loading the dishwasher, she turned and went back out to the front of the restaurant, ready for any of her customers who may need a top up of wine or want to order their desserts. Standing in front of the bar area, looking for signs that she was wanted anywhere in her area, she heard the bell above the door tinkle as somebody new came in. She couldn't believe it; just twelve minutes until she had hoped to be allowed to go home and here came another customer. Cursing quietly under her breath she glanced towards the door, but rather than frowning at the incoming patron, she found herself smiling to herself. It was Raymond.

Red had stumbled from the bar he'd been in for nearly four hours and walked a little more carefully along the street back towards the safe house. He had just called to see if there was any change in Dembe's condition but there wasn't, however he had nowhere else to be so had decided to head back anyway. Stopping suddenly, he felt his stomach lurch and he covered his mouth, desperate not to vomit in the street like a common drunkard. He managed to quell his nausea but realised he couldn't go back to the safe house like this. He'd only make a scene with the doctors and nurses and get in their way. He needed to sober up a little, maybe get some food inside him. He quickly decided to go to the restaurant nearby he often frequented. Maybe he could make himself more presentable before having to go back to face his inevitable self-loathing by Dembe's bedside. He made it to the front door and walked in, glancing up to see how busy it was in there. Thankfully it was nearly empty, the lateness of the hour ensuring he wouldn't have to worry about too many prying eyes. Looking towards the front of the restaurant he saw Lizzy, his favourite waitress here. She was always friendly towards him and he knew she had a crush on him. Maybe she could distract him for a while, even make him feel good about himself.

'Good evening, Mr Henley. Table for one?'

'Yes, please, thank you Lizzy. And again, call me Raymond', he replied smiling at her broadly. No matter how many times he insisted she call him by his first name, she always started off overly politely.

Liz smiled back at him and pulled his chair back so he could sit before placing the specials menu in front of him, 'All the specials are still available, even though the kitchen will be closing in ten minutes'.

Red frowned and stared at his watch, disbelieving that it had gotten that late, 'Oh my, I do apologise. I had no idea you were this close to shutting for the evening. I should go, I don't want to keep you working later than you have to'. As he was saying this, Red started to get to his feet but didn't quite manage, losing his balance and slumping back into his chair.

Liz, by now, had identified just how inebriated he was, the smell of the scotch fumes coming off him in waves every time he spoke. She frowned slightly, looking down at him. He had always been completely in control of himself every other time she'd seen him, seeing him like this was a little disconcerting for her.

'No, no, don't even think about leaving, Mr… Raymond. The chefs are still here, there's food ready to be cooked. Don't you worry about that at all, please?'

Red lifted his eyes back up to meet hers and smiled ruefully. He could see that she had ascertained just how much of a mess he was and had taken pity on him. Ordinarily he may've declined her offer anyway and left but she looked like she genuinely wanted him to stay, like she was worried about him.

'Okay, I will. On two conditions', Red said, smiling slyly at Liz. She laughed and nodded, raising her eyebrow to signify she was curious.

'One – I'll have the quickest thing there is to prepare, no matter what it is, so staff can start going home'.

'Right, okay', Liz laughed, 'Spaghetti Carbonara it is then'.

'Splendid, just what the doctor ordered. Secondly, would you do me the honour of joining me for dinner? I assume your shift is nearly over? Could I persuade you to do that?'

Liz's mouth fell open at his words. The number of times she'd fantasised about him saying something just like that and now he really had. Was she dreaming?

'I, er, well….. I would love to, Raymond. But I'd need to ask my manager. Such things are not really allowed'.

'Never mind your manager. Go fetch them now and send them over to me. I'll get it sorted out, don't you worry', Red said as he finished with a wink to her.

Liz smiled back at him and turned on her heel, heading towards the kitchen. She paused just two steps away and turned back, 'Oh, I'm so sorry. Do you want a drink whilst you wait for your food?'

'Yes, please. Your finest red. And a carafe of water. Thank you my dear'.

Liz turned away again and walked off, her heart hammering away in her chest. She couldn't believe this was happening. The man she'd had a crush on for nearly a year, ever since she started working here, had asked her to join him for dinner. She almost skipped into the kitchen, looking around eagerly for Paul, her manager. Locating him by the back door, sneaking a smoke, she explained the situation and although he frowned at her he said he would go and talk to Raymond. He was a good customer of theirs and always tipped very generously so Paul couldn't really refuse. Liz waited on tenterhooks as Paul disappeared, looking over her uniform to see if she had any food or drink spillages on it. Thankfully she seemed okay for once. Hearing the door to the kitchen swing back open, she looked up as Paul reentered. He nodded curtly to her and headed off to his office, quite openly pocketing something as he did so. Liz grinned. She couldn't care less if Raymond had had to 'bribe' her manger to allow her to dine with him, all that mattered was that she was going to. She quickly fetched their most expensive red wine and a large jug of water and headed back out to the front, asking the chef on her way past to prepare two orders of the spaghetti.

'I see that silver tongue of yours managed to persuade my manager easily enough', she said to Raymond as she got back to the table and set the drinks down.

'Oh, this tongue of mine is wondrous in many ways, sweetheart. Now, please sit down and let me pour you some of this delicious looking wine'.

Liz could feel a huge blush creeping over her face at Raymond's comment about his tongue. Was he flirting with her? The idea that he wanted to dine with her hadn't seemed overly flirtatious considering the state the man was in. He clearly just wanted company. But did he want more than that? She was nervous and ecstatic all at once and looked up at him coyly as he poured them both a glass of wine.

'How long have you been on shift today, Lizzy?'

'Well, I did four hours over lunch and I've been here since five this evening'

'You must be exhausted, on your feet that whole time. Please, have a drink of wine and relax. It's so nice for me to have such beautiful female company tonight, I can't tell you how much I needed this'.

Liz smiled at him but could see the sadness in his eyes as he said this. She wondered what had driven him to get as drunk as he was. And to request company for dinner when he normally quite happily ate here alone. She held her glass towards him and clinked his own with hers, 'Cheers, Raymond. And thank you'.

Red smiled as she did this and took a long drink of his wine. Leaning forward over the table towards Liz he looked her right in her eyes and asked, 'So, Lizzy, tell me about your hopes for this evening'.


	2. Chapter 2

Liz held Red's eyes for nearly two seconds before being forced to drop her own due to the intensity of his probing gaze. She looked down at her hands, gripping her wine glass increasingly tightly. She had no idea what to say. Obviously the truth was completely out. Eventually she forced herself to look back up at him.

'I don't really have any, Raymond. You've only just sprung this on me.'

Red smiled gently at her and reached over the table to carefully unclasp her hands from her glass, 'Of course not, Lizzy. It was a silly and rather hopeful question. Now careful you don't break your own glassware, I'm sure the manager would charge you for it'.

Liz felt both relieved and disappointed in herself. What would Raymond have said if she'd answered with how she really wanted to be wined and dined and possibly even wooed by him? Cursing her lack of courage she took a sip of her wine and tried to recompose herself.

'So, Lizzy, tell me a bit about yourself. I really do know nothing about you at all, other than the fact you're a quite lovely young woman'.

Liz started blushing again and forced out an embarrassed laugh. She smiled shyly at Red and started to tell some of her life tale. She didn't bother with her childhood, just some of the more interesting things that had happened to her since she'd moved to the city. Not that any of them were that interesting to Raymond, she thought to herself as she chatted away, he seemed such a worldly man she was probably boring him to tears. After nearly ten minutes she forced herself to stop and took a large sip of wine, her mouth now dry.

'So that's how you came to be a waitress here; simply by showing a tourist to the restaurant? Well, isn't that fortuitous for both of us', Red said with a light chuckle.

Liz nodded at him and reached out to pour them both some more wine, her waitressing instincts taking over. Red immediately stilled her hand and did the pouring himself, 'A gentleman never allows a lady to pour, my dear'.

She watched him as he managed to get the rest of the bottle into their two glasses. He didn't spill any but came pretty close. He really was very drunk. Still, she thought, he wasn't slurring or making a scene so she wasn't going to judge him for that.

Just as he finished pouring, their plates of spaghetti arrived and the two of them were occupied for a while, simply eating and making small talk. Red had ordered another bottle of wine, slightly to Liz's concern, and once that arrived he quickly polished off his glass and poured another one.

Eventually they both finished eating and Paul came to take their plates away, 'Will there be anything else, Mr Henley?'

'No, not for me. Lizzy?' Red made sure Paul knew that by not asking his employee if she would like something else he had far from impressed him by giving the manager quite a harsh glare. Liz smiled to herself and dabbed her mouth with her napkin to hide it from Paul.

'I'm fine, thank you, Raymond'.

'Well, Mr Henley, if you don't mind, I'm going to send the rest of the staff home and then leave myself. As you can see, you are our last customer…. Sorry, 'customers' here and I'm going to allow Liz to lock up for the night. Is that all right with you both?'

Red nodded at him and Liz agreed, taking the spare keys Paul had proffered to her, 'Not a problem, Sir. I know the alarm code'.

'Excellent. Well, I hope you both enjoyed your meal. Good night'.

Within a few minutes, they were the last people left in the restaurant, some of the lights now out and the restaurant half in darkness.

'Thank goodness he's gone', Red sighed, 'What a sanctimonious brown nose. I can't stand the way people like that treat those under him….'

'Oh, he's not too bad….'

'Trust me, Lizzy. I know all about his type'.

Liz looked at Red closely, wondering if her next question was going to be impertinent, 'So, er, what is it that you do, Raymond?'

Red laughed once but loudly before containing himself, 'Oh, sweetheart, trust me. You don't really want to know the honest answer to that. Let's just say I travel, I make business deals, I make far too much money and I try to keep out of the spotlight'.

Now Liz was even more intrigued but she sensed asking any more questions would not be a prudent move and almost certainly wouldn't be met with an answer anyway. Instead, she had an idea, 'Now that Paul's gone, I could always go and find whatever dessert's left this evening?', she hinted to Red, biting her lower lip in a manner that she couldn't possibly realise had had the effect it most definitely did on Red's groin.

'I… I'm fine for dessert, Lizzy. Unless you're on the menu?'

Liz's mouth dropped open and she had to look away. She so wanted to say yes but something about how drunk Raymond was tonight and how different he was being was sounding the alarm bells loudly in her head.

'I'm sorry, my dear. Forgive me…. I can be an incorrigible flirt when I'm a little tipsy'.

'It's okay. Really, it's okay. If I'm completely honest, I've been hoping you'd flirt with me for ages now'. Liz couldn't quite believe she'd managed to get the words out but thank god she had. She had wanted to say something like that to him all night. And it was quite obvious now that he was thinking similar thoughts to her. If you don't buy a ticket, you'll never win the raffle, as her mother used to say.

Red smiled at her and reached over the table for her hand, holding it carefully in his own and using his thumb to stroke over the back of it, 'Well, isn't that interesting. Would you like to leave here and maybe go somewhere a little more relaxed? I know a nice bar nearby'.

Liz decided to follow through with the courage of her previous declaration and nodded to him, grinning openly. Yes, he was a bit drunk but that didn't mean they couldn't enjoy each other's company a little longer. It's not like they were running off to the nearest wedding chapel!

She stood and picked up their plates and headed off to the kitchen without looking back. Red stood too, leaning rather heavily on the table for assistance as he did so, and lifted their glasses. He then used the tablecloth to carry everything else that was on the table and followed Liz into the kitchen. At first when he entered he couldn't see her as she'd not turned the lights on, not realising he would be following her. Placing the dirty tablecloth on the side he turned and squinted into the darkness, eventually seeing her at the far side, putting the plates and cutlery into the dishwasher. She was making such a noise that she'd not heard him enter. Red took this opportunity to creep up behind her, his eyes fixed on her ass as soon as he was close enough to see it clearly. He waited for her to stand up and then reached out to her arm, using it to turn her towards him.

'Oh, God, you scared me!', Liz laughed as her heart leapt in her chest.

'I'm sorry. I can assure you that's the last thing I want to do to you right now', Red managed to gasp out as his lust got the better of him and he leaned into her, attaching his lips somewhat messily to her own. At the same time his hands took a hold of her upper arms and pulled her into him.

At first Liz was overcome with the feel of him so close to her, the obvious hunger he had for her overwhelming. However, as he slightly lost his balance and had to reach out for the counter to keep them both upright, she began to have second thoughts. Whilst she liked Raymond a lot and hoped tonight wouldn't be a one-off in terms of his attention to her and the flirting, she just didn't feel comfortable anymore with how drunk he was and how out of character he seemed. She placed her hands on his chest and pushed him gently away.

'What's wrong?'

'Nothing… Nothing really, I, I just think maybe this is going too fast'

Red stared at her face, his alcohol addled brain trying to make sense of her words. He was so far gone in his need for her he just couldn't understand his behaviour had scared her slightly. Taking a hold of one of her hands he brought it to the hard bulge in his pants and pushed it against his length.

'Come on Lizzy, we both want this'

Liz snatched her hand back at once and before she knew it she had slapped him hard across the face. She gasped loudly the second she did it and took a step back. However, it had had exactly the effect it had needed to on Red.

'Oh my god….. Oh, Lizzy. I am so sorry. I don't know what I was thinking. I would never force someone to….. I just thought you wanted to….. I'm so sorry. I've had far too much to drink…'

'Leave…'

'Please forgive me. Please? I'm such a mess today….', Red's eyes filled with yet more guilty tears as he finished speaking and he shut his mouth and backed away from Liz, giving her space.

'Just leave. Please.'

Red nodded at Liz, desperate to hold her when she quite obviously needed some comfort but also very aware he was the last person who should be providing it to her. He offered her a broken man's smile and turned to walk towards the front of the restaurant, picking up his hat and jacket on the way past the table.

The second Liz heard the bell on the front door tinkle, she collapsed to the kitchen floor and started crying. She didn't really know why she was so upset. Red wasn't the kind of man to force himself on a woman, she knew that instinctually, but the whole scene that had just occurred had scared her. She dropped her head into her hands and cried until she found the calmness she needed to lock up the restaurant and go home.

As she left, Liz looked up and down the street carefully, hoping that Raymond wasn't still nearby. Seeing nobody at all, she locked the door and set off towards her apartment, walking quicker than she normally would. On the other side of the street, quite some way away, Red ducked out of an alleyway and followed her. Of course he had absolutely no intention of harming her or even of her becoming aware of his presence. He just needed to see she got home okay, considering how rattled she was. The guilt that was tearing him up inside from all of today's events was threatening to drown him as it was, he wouldn't be able to bear any more.


	3. Chapter 3

Red followed Liz all the way home and, despite at one point falling over a bin left on the kerb, he miraculously didn't manage to alert her to his presence. Watching her go in her door, safe and sound, he raised his eyes to heaven and exhaled. Well, at least he could do one thing right. Turning away from her apartment block, he headed back to his safe house, impatient now to see if his friend was awake.

Liz entered her apartment and shut the door, securing the locks behind her. On the way home, she'd recovered her composure and now felt almost embarrassed about what she'd done. Whilst she didn't exactly regret slapping Raymond, she felt that she had maybe overreacted. Yes, he had been very forward but she had led him on quite a bit over the course of the evening. And, if she was honest with herself, had he not been in the state he had been, she may well have let him take her right there and then in the kitchen. The look in his eyes kept flashing back to her after she'd hit him. The instant realisation he'd gone too far, the guilt, the self-loathing that had been there. They had both maybe gone about things the wrong way but she no longer felt angry with him. She quickly stripped off her work clothes and slipped into bed, utterly exhausted. She hoped she'd see him again, sooner rather than later.

As soon as he got back to the safe house, Red was approached by the doctor. Red's heart leapt in his chest but then he saw the doctor had a huge smile on his face.

'Good news, Raymond. Dembe woke up about an hour ago. He's asleep again now as I've given him some strong painkillers but he seems to be absolutely fine'.

Red smiled and dropped his head to his chest before glancing back up at the doctor, a quizzical look on his face, 'Why on earth didn't you call me then? I told you to update me with any news?'

'I tried, Raymond. Your phone just kept ringing out'.

Red hastily patted all his pockets and then swore loudly, causing the doctor to frown and start to back away a little, 'Shit! I must've left it at the restaurant'. He had a flashback to hastily bundling up the tablecloth and dropping it in the kitchen. He must've left it on the table and it ended up in there. Obviously it was a burner phone so it wasn't too much of an issue. But there were still contacts on it that he wouldn't want anyone else to call should they be trying to ascertain the owner of the phone. He sighed and headed for Dembe's room.

'I'll sleep on the couch in here tonight, Doctor. Please feel free to take the room I was going to. Goodnight'.

Red shut the door on the doctor's face before he could reply. He walked straight over to Dembe, who looked peaceful. Pulling the sheet up a little further over his beloved brother, he kissed his forehead and then headed for the horribly uncomfortable looking couch in the corner of the room. No better than I deserve, Red thought to himself, as he almost fell on top of it and passed out in under a minute, his snores joining those of the room's other occupant.

When Red awoke the following morning, he briefly wondered just who had kidnapped him now. His head hurt so badly he must be concussed, he quickly determined. Not to mention he couldn't seem to straighten his neck and back. Once he opened his eyes and slowly recognised the room he was in, he huffed a sigh of relief. But then recollections of the previous night came back to him. Wincing with the unfortunate memory recall, he slowly sat up, groaning as he did so. Glancing over at the bed Dembe was lying in, he couldn't help but smile as he saw his friend grinning at him, an amused look on his face.

'Something funny, Dembe?'

'Yes, Raymond. From the smell of you and the look of you, I wouldn't be surprised if you feel worse than I do right now', Dembe said and laughed openly.

Red smiled back at him ruefully before getting to his feet and approaching the bed, 'I wish that were true. How do you feel?'

'Actually, I feel just fine'. Dembe saw the doubt in his brother's eyes and stopped smiling. 'Honestly, Raymond, I feel fine. All the better for whatever drugs they've got me on', he finished with a wink.

Red gripped Dembe's hand and squeezed, 'Good. Now let me get the doctor so he can give you an official diagnosis, okay?'

Dembe laughed and ushered Red in the direction of the door. He opened it swiftly and strode out into the corridor, happy to see the doctor was up and heading towards him already.

'Good morning, Doctor. Your patient is awake and seems to be very much on the mend. Perhaps you could assess him now?'

'Of course, Raymond. And then I'll see about putting you on a saline drip, eh?'

Red grimaced at him and headed towards the bathroom. He couldn't recall the last time he'd felt this terrible. Well, other than after being shot or tortured or some other preferable option. Was there any worse feeling in the world than a terrible hangover combined with the knowledge you'd royally screwed everything up the day before?

When he got back from the bathroom, the doctor was leaving Dembe's room, 'He's fine, Raymond. Absolutely fine. No signs of a continuing concussion, his flesh wounds are healing nicely. Definitely want to give him bed rest and keep him monitored for a couple of days but other than that, he's a heck of a lot better than you are right now'.

'Thank you for reminding me, Doctor. Now, if you'll excuse us'.

The doctor left him and Dembe alone and Red walked back into the room.

'My brother…. I am so, so sorry for what happened yesterday. I had no idea that that might occur. I should've made sure Baz and…'

'Raymond, be quiet. We both fucked up. You have no reason to feel so guilty. I knew the ins and outs of yesterday's meet just as well as you did. Now come and sit down and tell me why your expression makes me think the world's ending'.

Red smiled at Dembe and sat down next to him, briefly patting his hand as he did so. He poured himself a glass of water from the jug the doctor had left in there, considering whether or not to steal some of the painkillers before deciding he needed a clearer head, not a foggier one. He then looked Dembe straight in the eye and told him everything that had occurred the previous night.

'Raymond, what were you thinking?', Dembe asked, a look of near horror on his face.

'I wasn't. I was….in a mess after what happened with you. I went out to drink away the guilt. Before I knew it I was in her restaurant. The rest is kind of a blur'.

'But you've had your eye on her for months now. Why would you be such a fool?'

Red grimaced and sighed. He had no answer.

'And now she has your cellphone?'

Red's lips twitched and he looked back up at his friend, 'Yes. Not that it's overly important. There are only a few contacts on there. Although one of them is our 'friend' from yesterday's meeting who turned out to be not such a friend. What if she were to call that number?'

'You know what you need to do, Raymond?'

'Man up and go back there and get my phone?'

Dembe laughed and gripped Red's arm, 'Yes, exactly. However, it is only half past eight. You need to sleep some more and then please wash, you smell like a brewery'.

Red laughed at Dembe and nodded. He was right. As usual. He squeezed his hand once more and headed off to the room he should've slept in the previous night. Setting his alarm for ten-thirty, he fell onto the bed and passed out almost as quickly as he had on the couch.

Liz got to work just in time for the start of the lunchtime rush. She quickly deposited her belongings in the staff room and was just heading out to the front of the restaurant when she heard a ringing noise coming from the pile of laundry in the corner of the kitchen. Frowning, she started wading through it. It wouldn't be the first time someone had lost their phone in there. Eventually she found the offending item and fished it out, quickly depositing the cheap looking handset in the 'lost and found' before continuing on her journey. She felt much better than she had the previous night, a surprisingly good sleep allowing her to process the strange turn of events. She beamed at the lunchtime barman, a guy who was always smiling himself, and headed out onto the floor of the restaurant.

Dembe waited just twenty minutes before he hastily detached himself from the saline drip he was on. He knew he was okay, that the doctor was just being overly cautious as he didn't dare 'skimp' on his care when Red would've probably shot him if he didn't get better in record time. Grabbing a few items of clothing and throwing them on, he headed out the door and walked off in the direction of the restaurant.


	4. Chapter 4

It took Dembe over ninety minutes to make the walk to the restaurant. Partly as he had to sit and rest a couple of times and partly because he knew he was in no rush. The employees weren't likely to be there too early, even with lunchtime preparation to be done, so he didn't try to hurry himself. Besides, he knew Raymond wouldn't be surfacing for a while yet.

Eventually he made it to the front door and, as he'd predicted, he saw that the 'Closed' sign was still being displayed. However, glancing into the restaurant he saw Liz. She was setting tables at the far side of the main area. He decided to take a chance and knocked loudly on the door.

Red's alarm blared out at ten-thirty and he made himself sit up at once, scared he'd drop off again. He felt marginally better than he had a couple of hours ago but still drank the pint of water by his bed in record time, his throat feeling like he'd sandpapered it. Getting up he went straight into the shower adjoining his room, throwing his clothes off carelessly on the way. He needed to hurry, he knew, if he were to catch Liz before customers started arriving at the restaurant.

After his shower, he dressed himself in his usual three piece suit and grimaced when he looked in the mirror. He still looked like death. There were bags under his eyes and his eyes themselves were glassy. Staring at himself contemptuously he swore under his breath and then left the room, needing to check that Dembe was all right before he headed out. However, upon entering Dembe's room, there was no sign of the man. Red's heart suddenly started racing and he ran back out, searching for either his friend or the doctor. Flying down the corridor into the kitchen, he found the doctor sitting at the table in there, reading the paper and drinking coffee.

'Where's Dembe?'

The doctor looked up, a puzzled expression on his face, 'I have no idea. I thought he was sleeping'.

'Well, he isn't. His bed's empty'.

They both returned to the vacated room, hoping to make some kind of sense of where the injured man was. Red looked around, desperate for a clue of any kind. He saw no note or anything to indicate where Dembe might be but he did notice that his shoes were gone from the front of the wardrobe. It suddenly hit him exactly where his brother had gone and he swore. Rushing from the room he quickly put on his own shoes and grabbed the rest of his things, heading for the Mercedes.

Liz quickly looked up at the door when she heard the loud knocking. A tall black man was out there, presumably one who couldn't read. She signalled to him that they were still closed but he didn't seem to understand as he kept knocking. Putting down the cutlery she had been laying out, she sighed and walked on over to the door to unlock it.

'Good morning, Sir. I'm sorry to say we don't open for over an hour'.

'Excuse me, Miss. I am sorry to be so insistent. I left my phone here yesterday and I need it urgently for work. Have you found one?'

'Oh, right. Yes, I did find one just this morning…. Er, can you describe yours to me?'

Dembe did so and Liz nodded, indicating that he should come in whilst she went out back to fetch it. By the time she got back she saw that the man was now sitting at one of the tables, slumped over slightly and he had broken out into a sweat despite the temperature in the restaurant being cool.

'Sir, are you okay?', she asked as she placed a hand on his shoulder.

'I… I could do with a glass of water if that would be no trouble to you?'

'Of course. Here's your phone. I'll just be a second'.

Liz rushed back to the kitchen and poured a large glass of water for the man, making sure to add a couple of ice cubes to it. When she got back out into the dining area, she looked up to see that he had been joined by another man. She stopped dead in her tracks, her brain frantically trying to work out just what was going on. Before she could take another step, the new man looked up and their eyes met across the room.

Under different circumstances, Red would've been up and heading towards Liz at this point but he was far too worried about Dembe right now. He beckoned Liz over and took the glass from her, holding it so that Dembe could drink. He eagerly gulped down half the glass in one go and then sat back in his chair, a pained look on his face. Red was acutely aware that he should talk to Liz but he had to get Dembe back to bed and to the doctor.

'Thank you for your help, Lizzy. I'm so sorry I can't stay but I need to get this man to a doctor'.

'You know him?'

'Yes…. I'm sorry about this. Perhaps I could come back after lunch and we could talk? Maybe about two-thirty?'

Liz briefly battled with her thoughts before nodding curtly at Red. He nodded back, a sad smile on his face.

'Thank you again but we must go'.

He bent down and helped Dembe to get shakily to his feet. Wrapping his arm under his armpit, he managed to manoeuvre him out of the door and into the car. Rushing round to the driver's side, he got in and they pulled away with a screech of tyres, performed a u-turn and were out of sight in seconds. Liz stared after them, utterly bemused by what had just happened. But she was happy to have seen Raymond again. She could tell that, despite his obvious concern for his friend, he was clearly in a much better way than he had been the previous night. She hoped that their chat after lunch would prove to be a good idea.

Once they were back at the safe house, Red ran in and fetched the doctor to help him with Dembe. Within minutes they had gotten him back into bed and the doctor was fixing him up to a new saline drip and administering pain meds.

'Doctor, is he okay?'

'He will be. He's just hugely dehydrated. He shouldn't have gone to the bathroom on his own, let alone walk as far as he did. But he'll be fine now. None of his stitches have burst and the concussion test I just did indicates nothing to worry about. He just needs fluids and rest'.

'Oh, he'll get it. Even if I have to handcuff him to the bed'

Dembe snorted at this comment and smiled softly, 'I'd like to see you try….'

'Hush….', Red soothed as he leant over him. 'What you did was spectacularly stupid and we're going to have words about it, don't you worry. But for now, please just sleep'.

'Sounds good…'

And with that, Dembe's eyes closed and his expression slackened, sleep taking an immediate grip on him.

Red ran his hand through his hair and sat down heavily by the bed. The doctor took one look at him and, despite the fact it was very much not his remit, offered to make him some breakfast and coffee. Red smiled at the doctor warmly and nodded. Once he had left the room, Red rested his head on the bed next to Dembe's arm and closed his eyes. Could this mistake of his possibly lead to any more drama, he thought to himself as he slowly allowed his heart rate to return to normal.

Liz soon had to put all thoughts of Raymond out of her mind as the lunchtime customers came flooding in. Today was their 2 for 1 special day on main meals so it was always very busy. Before she knew it it was two o'clock and the kitchen was taking no more new orders. By half-past two, most people had left, the few remaining either eating dessert or drinking coffee. Right on time, she heard the door open and glanced up to see Raymond entering. She smiled at him and pointed toward an empty table near the window, indicating he should sit there and wait for her.

Within fifteen minutes the last customer had left and she took off her apron and came and sat down next to Raymond, having brought a pot of coffee for them to share. She had no idea what to say to him and was struggling even to look him in the eyes, even though she could feel his eyes boring into her from the side. She poured coffee for them both and then sat back, attempting to look relaxed.

'Lizzy, firstly I just want to apologise from the bottom of my heart for my behaviour last night. There are no excuses for it. Please just know that that's not the kind of man I am and that I'm as appalled by what I did as you no doubt are'.

Liz nodded at him, waiting for him to continue. However, he remained silent, appearing not to know what to say further.

'Well, you're right that I was appalled. I thought we were having a nice night. And going on to a bar after our meal sounded like a fun idea. But I'm also appalled I hit you. I've never hit anyone before and I'm sure I could've dealt with the situation better myself'.

Red looked horrified by her words, 'No, no, don't you apologise. Please. You hitting me was the least I deserved. What I did disgusts me. I, I can't ever forgive myself for such coarse behaviour'.

Liz looked into his eyes and was once more saddened by the guilt and pain she saw there. Reaching over the table, she rested her hand on his. Red almost pulled his hand away, feeling utterly undeserving of her compassion and her sympathy. But he left it there as it was obviously important to her to make some kind of physical contact.

'Why were you such a mess last night? Is it to do with your friend?'

'Yes'

'Is he okay now?'

'He will be'

'Good. He seemed nice'.

'Oh, he's nice', Red said, a laugh in his voice. 'He's my moral compass. Although he's also in big trouble right now… But the fact he's as badly hurt as he is is my fault. And I was such a mess last night because I was using alcohol as a way to dampen down my own guilt. Instead all it did was lead to further mistakes on my part'.

Liz didn't want to pry any further into how Raymond's friend had been hurt or how it had been his fault. She sensed he wouldn't say more even if she did. Instead she gripped his hand tighter and smiled.

'Last night was probably the worst first date I've ever had. If you wanna call it a date. But there's something about you….. I can't explain it but I just feel as though I can trust you. It's the strangest thing'.

'You can, Lizzy. I would never do anything to hurt you. And last night truly was a one-off in terms of boorish behaviour. I can't emphasise that enough'.

'Good. Well, what would you say to the idea of a second date tomorrow night? It's my night off'. Liz was startled by her own forwardness. Having always admired Raymond from afar, she never thought she would have the nerve to be so bold as to ask him on a date. But last night's drama had, in a strange way, brought them closer together. She felt emboldened by his obvious attraction to her and to the ends he was willing to go to make it up to her. Most men, having done what he did, would never show their face back here again.

'I would say yes', Red replied before he let his brain talk his heart out of it. He knew he didn't deserve this lovely, forgiving young woman in front of him but he was willing to at least show her how a date with Raymond Reddington should proceed. She deserved to be treated so much better than he had hitherto demonstrated.

Jotting her number down on her orders pad, she slipped it across the table to Red and stood up.

'I'll see you tomorrow night then'.

Red beamed back at her, slipping the paper into his pocket. Donning his hat, he swept out of the restaurant, a spring in his step that had been lacking for far too long.


	5. Chapter 5

By the time Red had gotten back to the safe house, his mood was still sky high. Walking through the front door he headed straight towards Dembe's room and opened the door a crack to see if his friend was awake. Peering in, Red saw that he was sitting up in bed, nose buried in a Dickens novel.

'Good to see you're better'

'Raymond…'

Before Dembe could get another word out, Red was by his side and enveloping him in a hug. The relief of seeing him looking much improved far outweighed any residual anger he may've felt about the fact Dembe had made himself so much worse for Red's sake earlier.

'You worried me. I can't believe you did that. Are you feeling completely recovered now?'

'Yes, Raymond'

'Good. Then this shouldn't hurt too much', Red said as he half-heartedly punched Dembe in his upper arm. Dembe laughed as Red winced and shook his fist, flexing the fingers.

'Well, that backfired. Do you bench-press tanks or something?'

Dembe guffawed and indicated that Red should sit down next to him, which he did. Clearing his throat, Red leant forward and looked Dembe right in the eyes.

'I don't know what the hell you were thinking, going to the restaurant. You know I was going to do so after I'd slept a little longer. You scared me half to death'

'I know, Raymond. I'm sorry. I thought it would be okay. But you know exactly why I had to try, don't pretend you don't'

Red looked away from Dembe for a moment, chewing the inside of his lip, 'Because you think I would have felt too guilty to have actually spoken to her'.

'Exactly. My intention was to retrieve your phone and then to speak with Liz. I thought if I explained a little about why you had been so unlike yourself, it might help. I know how much you like her, how long you've been thinking about asking her out. And I suspected that if you had gone back to the restaurant, you would have found a way to get the phone without speaking to her'.

Red shook his head, but at himself, not at Dembe, 'I suspect you may be right'.

'I am'

'But I swear, Dembe, don't you ever do anything like that again. It could've been much worse. And I'm just not worth it. You mean more to me than I can say'.

'And your happiness is something that means a lot to me, Raymond. I know how bad you feel at the moment because of what happened to me but it's not your fault'.

Red sighed and leant back in his chair, 'Well, either way, it worked. I have a date with the delectable Lizzy tomorrow night'.

Dembe laughed loudly and slapped Red's thigh, 'You old dog. Well, you can thank me properly after you've swept her off her feet. I have a feeling she is going to be treated like a princess. Am I right, brother?'

Red was overjoyed by Dembe's response and couldn't help but smile back at him, 'Oh, you have no idea…..'.

The next morning Liz allowed herself a lie in, which she always did on her days off. Rolling over to look at the clock, she saw that it was nearly ten and decided to get up, her grumbling stomach convincing her that breakfast was in order. Getting to the kitchen, her phone beeped as soon as she turned it on. Glancing at it, she saw that she had a message from Raymond, 'Good morning Lizzy. As long as it is amenable to you, I will pick you up at 6pm tonight. R x x'. Grinning widely, she quickly typed back that that sounded fine and made her way to her coffee machine, already thinking about what she might wear this evening. She suspected that he would take her somewhere fancy and so quickly decided that her new red dress would be perfect. She'd not had a chance to wear it yet so tonight would be its debut.

After breakfast and a shower, Liz headed out to the local park to sit and read her book in the sunshine. She often did this on her days off as it made her feel less lonely to be amongst other people and she just loved the fresh air. Working in a restaurant was hot work and the heat of the kitchen drove her mad. Just sitting in the park, allowing the cool breeze to wash over her was one of her favourite things in the whole world. However, she was finding it hard to concentrate today. She couldn't stop thinking about her date with Raymond tonight. Although she had predictable nerves about it, she found herself completely unworried about his behaviour. She'd believed every word he'd said to her the previous day. He deserved a second chance. And the vulnerability he'd shown during his remorseful apology and by displaying his fear and guilt towards the situation with his friend had made her heart ache. She wanted to get to know him better and was eager for six o'clock to roll around.

However, come half past five, her nerves had inevitably returned. She looked in the mirror one last time before heading downstairs. She couldn't recall the last time she'd dressed up like this. Certainly not for a man. She hoped she looked good. Raymond always looked good so she needed not to feel too self-conscious to be seen with him in public.

At six o'clock on the dot, her doorbell rang and she took a deep breath and walked over to open it. Standing there was her date for the night. Before she had a chance to gather herself at the sight of him, she found that her mouth had dropped open. He was simply divine. Wearing a light grey three piece suit with shiny black shoes and a matching grey fedora, a bright blue tie setting off the whole ensemble, he was good enough to eat.

Thankfully for Liz's embarrassment, Red hadn't noticed her reaction. He was too busy having a similar one himself. The red dress she wore was stunning, clinging to her curves, allowing a peek of her thigh where it slit up along one leg, her décolletage was the perfect mix of revealing and classy….. He forced himself to look at her eyes, shining brightly with their blue iridescence. Quickly summoning up his composure, Red stepped forward and held his hand out for Liz to take. Beaming at his gentlemanly manners, she took it and reached behind her to close her door.

'Lizzy, there are simply no words for how beautiful you look. I am struck nearly dumb'.

Liz giggled and bowed her head, blushing immediately, 'Well, there's a first time for everything'.

Red laughed and opened the back of his car door for her to enter. Once they were both seated inside, she turned to him and smiled, 'You look very dashing yourself, you know. Very handsome'.

Amazingly, to Liz anyway, Red bowed his head and she could swear he may've blushed a little himself. Her heart soared. He really was such a sweet man.

'Oh, I don't know about that, Lizzy. The wonders of a good tailor can hide many flaws you know'.

She reached across and slapped his forearm lightly, 'Just accept the compliment, mister'.

He reached across with his right hand and placed it on Liz's, which was still on his forearm, 'I will. Thank you'.

Baz glanced up into the rearview mirror and smiled back at his boss. He'd never seen him like this before. Sure, he could be quite the charmer with women, but here there was genuine affection and emotion on display. He was glad to see it. Red caught his eye and nodded and they pulled away from Liz's house, heading out into the early evening traffic.

The drive to their destination only took fifteen minutes and on the way there, Liz asked how Dembe was doing, Red happy to tell her he was none the worse for his excursion the day before. He offered no more on the subject and again Liz wondered just what it was that these two men did for a living. Glancing into the front seat, she wondered too about the man with the ponytail. He didn't look like your average chauffeur. She determined that she would attempt to find out more about them, especially Raymond, over the course of the evening. But for now she was just going to enjoy the ride in this luxurious car and the prospect of being spoilt rotten by such a sexy, interesting man.

When they pulled up at a building downtown, Liz peered out and was slightly surprised to see they were at a hotel. Not just any hotel, admittedly, the most exclusive one in the whole city, but she was still a little worried about Raymond's motivations. He opened her door and helped her out, placing her hand in the crook of his arm as he led her to the front door.

'I don't know if you've ever been here before, Lizzy, but the roof garden restaurant is absolutely wonderful. My second favourite place to dine in the whole city', he said, winking at her.

Liz knew that the restaurant she worked in was fairly good but she guessed this was a whole different class above. Just observing the other patrons, both of the hotel and the restaurant, who were milling about in the reception and heading towards the elevators, she could tell this was the kind of place she would never be able to afford to eat or sleep in. Briefly the butterflies in her stomach reappeared. Almost as if he had a sixth sense, she felt Raymond's hand on hers, trapping it between his arm and his stroking fingers,

'Don't worry, Lizzy. The people here are nowhere near as special as they think they are. And nowhere near as special as you. I assure you, the restaurant is quite relaxed. I can't stand establishments where you can't just enjoy yourself and let your hair down without the feeling you're being judged'.

She sneaked a smile back at him, grateful for his words, as the elevator doors closed. Fifteen seconds later they opened again and she gasped audibly.

'Of course, one can guarantee the lack of judgement by having the place to yourself', Red chuckled as he led her out.

Walking out onto the roof, she looked about, absolutely speechless. There was only one table there, set for two. It was right by the glass wall at the edge of the roof and the view was just breathtaking. The sun was far from setting and daylight still ruled. She could see across almost the whole city and to the mountains beyond. Turning around again, she saw only one other person on the roof, a waiter standing by a small bar at the far side. Red nodded at the man and he reached down and pressed a button on the music system next to him. Light and graceful classical music filled the air and Liz grinned, turning to Red.

He stared at her, her happiness filling his heart with inestimable joy. The guilt he felt over his behaviour was still there but he knew he was going to be able to make it up to her. No matter what he had to do, he was determined that tonight was going to be one of the best nights of her life. Pulling her chair back, he beckoned her to sit down and then sat opposite, utterly unable to stop smiling at her radiant joy.

Without being summoned, the waiter appeared by their table carrying a freshly chilled bottle of champagne. Liz didn't know a lot about wine but she had a feeling that this particular bottle was probably worth more than she earned in a couple of months. The waiter poured it for them both and then left a couple of menus on the table before disappearing again.

Red lifted his glass and held it out towards Liz. 'To you, sweet Lizzy. To you and to your wonderful, forgiving nature'.

Liz smiled but also furrowed her brow at him a little, 'Thank you, Raymond. But no more talk of that, okay?'

Red clinked his glass against hers and smiled almost shyly, 'Okay…. Now drink up, this champagne is exquisite when recently iced'.

Liz took a sip and her eyes opened wide, 'Oh my…. That tastes like heaven'.

Red watched closely as she licked a small drop off her lips, unable to respond for a moment.

'Yes, indeed, quite heavenly', he managed to get out before recovering his composure.

Liz spotted where his eyes had been looking and glanced away quickly to look out over the city, although a thrill went through her at his barely hidden attraction.

Now, my dear, please just relax. Enjoy the view, the music, the champagne. Tonight is all about you'.


	6. Chapter 6

Over the time they took to enjoy their three course meal, Liz learnt a lot about Raymond without ever feeling like she knew who he really was. His stories had her spellbound and in fits of laughter, often at the same time. He had clearly travelled widely and been to a vast array of places of which she'd never even heard. He also asked her about her life and her aspirations but Liz felt that, compared to his stories, her life seemed unutterably dull and so she encouraged him to talk more, rather than worrying about whether she was boring him.

Red was more than happy to talk away nineteen to the dozen, although he'd have preferred that Liz wasn't as shy as she appeared to be regarding her own life tales. However, he could sense that she was happier when he was being a raconteur and so placed himself in that role for her benefit. By the time they'd finished up with dessert, both of them were more than a little tipsy. Thankfully Red was on his best behaviour, a long way from the broken man who had near stumbled into Liz's restaurant a couple of days earlier.

As the waiter cleared away their last few dishes, Red asked him to bring them coffee and one last bottle of the red which they had so enjoyed and then to retire for the rest of the evening. Once the waiter had done his bidding, he gave them each a quick bow and disappeared away from the roof terrace.

'Did he just bow to us?', Liz asked, giggling.

'I'm afraid so. I swear I didn't ask him to do that', Red replied, an amused smirk on his face as he watched Liz shaking her head.

'Well, I'm sure glad they don't want me to do anything like that in my restaurant'

Red laughed and leant across the table to hold Liz's hand in his own, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles and smiling at her, 'That wouldn't do at all. Someone like you should never bow to anyone'.

Liz blushed and looked down at their joined hands. She tightened her hand around Red's fingers and looked back up at him, 'Thank you for tonight, Raymond. It's been absolutely wonderful'.

He beamed at her, 'I'm so very glad to hear it. However, it's far too early to think about leaving, wouldn't you agree? How about a dance?'. As Red finished his sentence he stood up and held his hand out towards Liz.

Liz laughed but took his hand and stood up straight away. He then led them to the open area in the middle of the terrace and they got themselves into the traditional dancing positions. The music system was playing Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra classics and it was perfect to dance to, the mood just right for some romance. After a few teething problems, Liz caught on quickly to following Red's lead and soon they were moving around the floor with ease. After a few minutes, Liz felt herself relax, relieved that the few dance lessons she'd once had hadn't been a complete waste of time.

As they continued to move together across the floor, Liz decided to take the initiative. She thanked the gods of alcohol for giving her the courage to do it and then let go of Red's hand, allowing her own hand to travel up his arm and around his neck, behind which she clasped her hands together. She then rested her head on Red's chest and was gratified to hear that his heart was beating away far quicker than it should have been. Her closeness was having the desired effect.

Red turned his face into her hair and breathed in her scent. He got hints of strawberry and something that could only have been Liz's own scent and he inhaled deeply, savouring every bit of it. His hands had moved around to her back and he pulled her further into his embrace, relishing the feel of her womanly curves and warm skin beneath his fingers.

At this point Liz pulled back and looked into Red's eyes. He looked down at her, smiling at her so sweetly she couldn't help but smile back at him with equal affection. He then bent his head down towards her and kissed her gently on the lips. Only for a short moment but they both felt the spark that happened when their lips met. Pulling away, even after such a short kiss, the looks in each of their eyes were unmistakable. They now were both completely sure that the other one wanted the same as they did. Red's mouth opened as he felt his breathing rate increase and Liz stepped up on her toes to kiss him again. This time they kissed for nearly a minute, their tongues tangling and probing, small noises of contentment and enjoyment coming from them both. Towards the end of the kiss, Liz's hands slipped down and cupped Red's ass, pulling him as close to her as she could. She immediately felt the effect their kiss had had on him and couldn't help but push her hips further into his, enjoying the feel of his arousal against her.

Red then broke the kiss and looked into her eyes, his hand coming up to stroke her cheek, 'I'm sorry, please forgive me. I'm afraid my reaction to you is not entirely under my control'.

Liz smiled at him and reached her own hand to place over his, 'It's okay, Raymond. You're perfectly in control of yourself this time. In fact, I think it might be me who's going to be the one apologising tomorrow'.

Red laughed and whirled them around one more time, 'Oh, I highly doubt that. I can't imagine you're capable of doing anything that could ever be deserving of an apology'.

Liz pulled her head back and mock-frowned at him, 'You saying I'm predictable?'

'No, my dear. Just that you're a sweet, lovely person and…'

But before Red could finish his sentence he found his hand being pulled towards Liz and placed on her breast. Not knowing what to do or say, and having some unfortunate flashbacks to the restaurant, he merely stood there, staring at his hand as if it belonged to someone else.

Liz rolled her eyes and tightened her grip on his hand, forcing him to squeeze her breast. Red moaned and his eyes slid shut. Seizing the opportunity she leant into him and captured his mouth again, forcing her tongue inside and placing her free hand on the back of his neck to hold him in place. By the time they came up for air, they were both flushed and a little short of breath.

'Please tell me you're staying in this hotel tonight?'

'I wasn't going to…' But Red stopped talking and whipped out his phone. Two minutes later they were in the elevator heading down towards the seventh floor. Red was pinned against the elevator wall and trying desperately to keep track of how long they had before the doors opened.

When they got to room 712, the keycard was sitting in a envelope resting against the door, having been deposited there only seconds earlier by a bellhop who had been under strict instructions to have delivered it and be out of sight within a minute of leaving reception.

Red bent down and picked it up, Liz not missing her chance to slap his ass. He turned to her, the shocked look on his face quickly turning to a salacious grin. Ripping open the envelope, he yanked out the keycard and opened the door. Liz pushed him backwards into the room and before they knew it, Red was lying flat on the floor, Liz astride him.

'Sweetheart, are you sure we're not maybe going….' But once again, Liz cut him off with her mouth. She took a hold of each of his arms and pinned them behind his head, grinding herself down onto his pelvis.

Red was in heaven. He couldn't recall the last time he'd felt quite so happy to be entirely at someone else's mercy. He allowed Liz every bit of control she clearly relished, enjoying being at her whim.

Eventually she pulled away from him, allowing his arms to move freely. They instantly went to her waist and he gently squeezed her hips, loving the way they hadn't stopped moving atop his arousal.

'Raymond?'

'Yes', he managed to sigh out, breathily.

'You know you're a good man'

He frowned a little and she placed her index finger in the middle of his eyebrows, flattening out the crease that had appeared there.

'You are. Dembe has clearly forgiven you for whatever it is you think was your fault getting him hurt. And I forgive you for what happened at the restaurant. You don't need to feel so guilty all the time. Everyone makes mistakes. It's what you do afterwards that defines who you really are'.

Looking up into Liz's eyes, he felt himself falling for her in that exact moment. He didn't even notice that she was no longer writhing in his lap. Instead, her hands were cupping his cheeks, looking at him with unmistakeable fondness.

'Thank you for saying that'

She smiled down at him, leaning down to brush her lips over his, 'Now get your ass off the floor and take me to bed. I'm not fond of carpet burn'.

He laughed and sat up, pulling her with him as he stood. Lifting her up easily in one fluid movement, he carried her to the bedroom and placed her on the top of the bedspread with near reverence. Toeing off his shoes, he crawled up the bed to lie next to her. Liz tugged on his arm to encourage him to move on top of her and he needed no further invitation.

Over the course of the night, Red was reminded again and again of just how much he was forgiven and how his guilty feelings were something entirely unnecessary. Liz worshipped him with her words and her body and some time in the small hours they fell asleep, both utterly exhausted.

When Red awoke the following morning, he gazed down upon the beautiful head of brunette hair that was tucked up on his chest. Kissing the top of her forehead gently and lingeringly, he smiled to himself. He had no clue how it had happened, considering what an idiot he'd been this week, but for the first time in years his heart was full of joy and his spirit was light and free.

The End

Thank you to everyone who read this and special thanks to Dreamlover83, my beta ;-*


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